


Kaiba Land Halloween Bash

by thegraeyone



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Amusement Parks, Birthday, Friendship, Halloween, Kaiba Land, M/M, my favorite fictional place
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 07:34:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27199909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegraeyone/pseuds/thegraeyone
Summary: It's Halloween at Kaiba Land, and Seto Kaiba's attempts to show off lead to an unexpected confession. A Seto Kaiba birthday adventure.(More romantic than you'd think but less than you'd hope.)
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler & Kaiba Seto, Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Comments: 9
Kudos: 42





	Kaiba Land Halloween Bash

Halloween at Kaiba Land was in full swing. The menacing Blue Eyes that perched outside Adena's Castle already added a sinister element to the otherwise cheery park, but the addition of the giant spider perched on the parapets and Duel Monsters holograms repainted with ghoulish facades were made to startle and delight parkgoers. The Monster Horror section was expanded for the night, bleeding into the other rides and games. Seto marched past the excited attendees, who donned their own costumes and creative looks. The Saggi the Dark Clown outfit ensured no one would recognize him, not beneath the wide brimmed hat and face paint, meaning he could stroll through his own creation with relative ease. The planning and preparation stages were done a week ago, meaning everything was already set to go. Seto could enjoy his creation.

And what little satisfaction to that work if he could not bask in someone else’s praise, which was the only reason he’d invited Yugi and Company to the event. When they’d boasted generic plans for the night, he’d roped them all along, if only to see the looks on their faces when they saw the parade of spooky sights. He wanted to ensure they appreciated everything at the park.  


The friend group was gathered by the entrance of the Monster Manor. Costumes were worn all around, and as Seto approached he noted with some amusement how each person could not be dressed more like themself. Yugi wore a mummy costume with no irony, while Tea stood beside him as a pumpkin. Tristan tipped back a cowboy hat as Duke stood beside him as a black cat. None of the group noticed Seto's approach.  


“There’s no way I’m going in there,” Wheeler shouted arms waving wildly. “You couldn’t pay me to go in there.”

Seto, never missing an opportunity to pick on him, leaned down to his ear. With his best Vincent Price, he intoned, “Scared, Wheeler?”

Joey jumped in the air, whirling around on him. The other dweebs were doing their best not to laugh. Seto cackled beside him, and once Joey realized who it was, he landed a punch against Seto’s arm, which, judging by past manhandlings, was weak. He rubbed the spot anyway.

“I’m not scared,” he snapped. “I just don’t wanna get murdered again.”

“I assure you,” Seto said, tilting his hat back. “It’s all perfectly safe. You’ll note the children who are handling it better than you.”

Joey stuck his tongue out at him. “I’m skipping it anyway. I don’t wanna know what your demented mind has cooked up.”

“I’m not,” Duke announced. “Everyone who’s not a weenie say aye.”

Three hands went up. Yugi giggled, offering a sheepish look to his best friend. Joey huffed in response and picked at the sleeve of his fuzzy pink jacket. It’d taken Seto the whole of the conversation to recognize the plastic horns on a headband in his curling blond hair. It appeared he’d dressed as a scapegoat. The look was surprisingly soft for Wheeler, and low key, with a plain shirt and jeans underneath. Joey caught him studying his outfit and flicked his eyes away.  


“We can go grab some snacks,” Yugi said. “We’ll meet up with you guys in a little while.”

Seto frowned. The point of inviting Yugi and friends was to show off his masterful creations to his long held rival, who would be forced to admit his superiority in every way. Not that Yugi wouldn’t. In fact he offered praise with no prompting, which made it impossible to rub his nose in anything. Still, it was the principle.

“Don’t tell me Wheeler needs a babysitter,” Seto drawled.

“I don’t need nothing.” Joey puffed up. “Go ahead, Yug. I’ll be fine.”

Yugi seemed to be debating, and Seto sighed. He drew an arm across Joey’s shoulder to yank him closer, offering up a grin that, beneath the clown makeup, could only be described as ghoulish. He didn’t know if Joey’s responsive shiver was for dramatics or a genuine scare, but Seto was satisfied either way.

“I wouldn’t trust Wheeler to be alone that long,” he said. “I’ll entertain him while you ride.”

Joey shoved him off, and he cackled. Yugi gave them a nervous look, before Tea dragged him off, the others waving goodbye. Seto waited until they entered the vaulted doors of the haunted house attraction. Left alone with each other, Joey’s arms dropped and he scowled at Seto. Seto only smiled back.

“Nice costume,” Joey said. “Finally dressing for the job you want?”

“I’m surprised to see you dressed so cute.” Seto flicked the headband.

Joey slapped his hand away. "First off, I'm always dressed cute. Second, it's an easy costume. Third, I really don't need your looming over me."

"I'm not--" He glanced up at the tall, crooked hat. "--actively looming."

He realized, as his eyes dropped back down, that Joey was still watching him, now with a smile that pulled the corners of his mouth. He nodded towards the concessions that lined the walkway to the main thoroughfare.

“If you’re gonna stick with me,” he said, “then we’re gonna get something to eat. What do you usually eat? You probably get all your nutrients in pill form.”

Seto breathed in deep. There was no better smell than park food: fried dough and candy apples and popcorn, the deep rich butter, the warm oil, and overwhelming sweetness. He smiled.

“Let’s get some cotton candy,” he said.

Joey bound ahead to beat him to the food stand. The cotton candies at Kaiba Land were elaborate, spun to resemble Blue Eyes, or with the logo of the park, and for Halloween there were two large pumpkins. He held up two sticks roughly the size of his head, handing one to Seto. He took a bite out of his own, humming as the sugar dissolved on his tongue.

“You really go all out,” Joey said. “You must love Halloween.”

“One of the few imports I approve of.” Seto picked off a piece of his own cotton candy. “It’s enjoyable.”

“Careful, Kaiba.” His voice dropped to a conspiratorial tone and he leaned in close. “You sound like you can have fun.”

Seto leaned in as well and said, “You’re in my theme park.”

“You make a good point there.” He popped another piece of cotton candy into his mouth. The pink fuzz dissolved the second it touched his lips, and Seto watched his tongue lick the sugar off. “What else do you like to do around here?”

Seto swallowed down the sticky sweetness. “It is an amusement park.”

“Come on.” He elbowed him. “You built the place. You gotta have a fav.”

His eyes drew to the castle behind them. Joey’s gaze followed. Without another word, he grabbed Seto by the wrist before yanking him along. Seto didn’t protest as they pushed through the crowd, nor did he remove his hand from Joey's grip. The cotton candy was gone by the time they shoved through the line to Adena’s Castle and stopped to admire the grand foyer. It’d been redecorated for the event, with the princess motifs replaced by witches and gremlins. It was the most child friendly place in the park, and kids shouted and jumped as their parents led them around the wide open space, that opened up to a set of stairs meant to lead to the mascot greeting area. It looked exactly as it did in the cartoon drawings tucked in a folder in the bottom drawer of his desk.

“You’re so weird,” Joey said as they followed the golden posts that roped off the walkway for the castle. “I figured you’d go for one of the rollercoasters or even your goofy monorail.”

Seto didn’t say anything as they climbed the staircase up. Joey grimaced as they passed more people dressed in costume, a trio of zombies with fake blood dripping from their mouths. As they came to the top landing, Seto jabbed him in the back, causing him to jolt, and before Joey could turn around him, he guided him away from the main walkway. An employee door lay half-hidden behind a fake stained glass window, and he shoved it open.

“Where are we going?” Joey asked as the door swung shut behind them. He had a tremor to his voice. The walkway was better suited for single file, mostly made so the actors and employees could make their way through the castle more easily, which meant it was well lit and built with safety in mind, but still, the dark wood walls and the low ceiling did make the space somewhat claustrophobic. Seto supposed if he were led away from the crowds by an evil looking clown into a dark hallway where no one could find them, he might be marginally suspicious, especially if that clown was also his worst enemy. But Seto had invited the friendship troupe in order to show off, and he hadn’t even started yet.

“You’re not gonna kill me, right?” Joey continued, and despite his fear he clung a little closer to Seto. “Your murder days are over with.”

Seto rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Wheeler. You asked what I liked to do at my own theme park. I’m showing you.”

Another set of stairs brought them to the top walkway where a short platform led to another door. He gestured to Joey, who glared at him before pushing it open. He sucked in a breath before stepping out onto the balcony that sat atop Adena’s Castle, nestled between the towers. It was useful, during the shows, to have the actors waving to the crowds below, but until the fireworks went off, no one was looking up here. Seto walked past Joey, stepping to the railing to gaze out. After a moment’s hesitation, Joey did the same.

Kaiba Land stretched out in front of them. The Blue Eyes statues were nearly as tall as the castle, and their broad wings pulled back as they reared over the populace. From here they could see the holographic displays of ghosts and bats racing off of Monster Manor and the see the winding tracks of the coaster careening wildly close the gates around the park. The monorail flowed past, reflecting the neon lights of the park off its shining white exterior. There were the separate stages of the Kaibaman show beside Battle City, who were both showcasing spooky versions of the usual park patter. Even Death-T, now repurposed to a holographic theater, was alight with colors splaying out onto the concrete below, shining off the faces of the families and kids who were spending their Halloween night at the park. The cackles of the monsters and shrieks of parkgoers were distant from up here. Nighttime made everything hazy and dreamlike. Seto felt himself smile.

“Wow,” Joey breathed out. “You can see everything from up here.”

“I told you,” Seto said.

“You jerk.” Joey elbowed his side. “You just wanted to get a reaction out of me.”

Seto nodded, still smiling. Joey huffed again, but this expression was endeared. The wind caught the curling tips of his bleached hair, and his brown eyes shone. The neon lights made a hazy aurora like a halo around them. Seto forced himself to look away.

“Sometimes,” Joey said, “I think you’re psychopathic weirdo who just likes to watch the rest of squirm, you know? And then sometimes…”

Seto kept his eyes on the park below. “What?”

Joey turned to face him and tapped a finger against the puffy shirt at his chest. “Sometimes you act like you’ve got a heart.”

“Don’t give me too much credit,” Seto said. “I did only bring you up here for the reaction.”

“Nah.” Joey smiled up at him. “If you really wanted to show off you’d make sure everyone knew Seto Kaiba was here. But you’re walking around like a clown. You know what’s weird? You almost look normal like this.”

He flicked the brim of Seto's hat, and he caught his hand. He was aware, the moment that he did, of the lack of space between them, and the quiet that settled around the balcony, and the flush make its way across Joey's face. For a breath, neither of them moved.

"You know what's extra weird," Joey kept talking. His eyes were still focused on Seto's face, and the words sounded like they were being carried from far away. "Yugi told me last week was your birthday. He said that you don't like to make a big deal out of it, which I thought, that's no the Kaiba we know and tolerate."

Seto uncurled his fingers from his wrist, letting his hand drop. Joey took a bold step forward.

“And then I remembered that’s when you gave us the tickets,” he continued. “It makes more sense for you. Buying yourself a birthday present.”

“I wasn’t--” Seto started, but Joey wasn’t done.

“And on the one hand, it’s like, of course Kaiba wants to show off for his birthday it’s all he ever does, but then I thought.” Joey shrugged. “Maybe all he really wants is to spend Halloween with his friends.”

Seto’s jaw snapped shut. He rolled his eyes. He hummed and hawed and made more exaggerated gestures so Wheeler could see how stupid he was being.

“You don’t usually do this much thinking,” he growled. “I’m surprised your brain didn’t overclock, and you were right the first time. I don’t know why you had to spend so much time thinking on my motives.”

He shook his head. “Just admit it, Kaiba. You like us. You threw yourself your own birthday party and the only people you invited were your friends. Say it.” He jabbed his shoulder. “Say you like us. Say it.”

Seto sucked in a breath. He may as well open up his shirt and show Wheeler where to plant the knife. This was so stupid, they were both being so stupid. He was always asking for trouble when he invited Yugi and Wheeler around, and yet he kept doing it. Why? Why subject himself to this kind of torture?

He exhaled. He knew exactly why.

“Fine,” he said. “I like you. Happy?”

The smile on Joey’s face curved against his soft cheeks, and he nodded. “I knew you were a sap.”

“And you’re more annoying than I could’ve imagined.” Seto sighed again as he looked to the park below. “It looks like your friends are done too. We should find them.”

“Uh-uh.” Joey waved a finger in his face. “Your friends, moneybags. And I’m absolutely telling Yugi what you said. He’s been trying to get you to admit we're all friends since we met.”

“There’s still time to push you off this roof, Wheeler.”

“You wouldn’t dare do that,” he said, adopting a pathetic pout, “to a friend.”

He shouted as Seto lunged at him and threw open the door with a shriek as they both raced through the employee tunnels back to the park below. They both ran through the crowd, shouting at each other, until they stopped breathless in front of the gang. Seto straightened himself up before anyone could comment and demanded they head to the monorail so he could show off his hard work properly. As they trekked to the platform, he saw Joey lean down to whisper in Yugi's ear, and watched his eyes light up.  


Ah, well. As far as outcomes, there were far worse things. The group settled into the blue vinyl seats of the monorail and pressed their faces to the windows as Seto narrated each attraction. He couldn't shake Joey's smile, or the warm gaze that followed him, but that was alright too. For now, he could handle his friends.

**Author's Note:**

> I had so many Halloween ideas, and then my month turned to garbage, so I distilled some of the ideas down. I love staring at the Kaiba Land map, but I've made my own additions. If you think Kaiba Land doesn't do Halloween every year to compete with D*sney, I got some news for you. Seto and Joey's costumes based on [Jay's drawings](https://jadenvargen.tumblr.com/post/183611618795/opens-book-and-licks-finger-to-turn-an-old), which make me feel insane in the membrane. Happy birthday to Seto Kaiba, my horrible little man.


End file.
